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VIDEO FEATURE: Building a micro shop for the work area challenged

This is a series that I found on YouTube (ONE MINUTE WORK BENCH) that I thought if you are in the same situation as me, where you have a very limited work/storage area! Follow these links for a compact useable work area. Which includes a tablesaw, drill press, router disksander and it's all portable! Click on the links below.

You will need this first one if you don't have a tablesaw!

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on February 17, 2020 at 1:04am

nice one KDH. going to watch these in full when i get a chance..the track for the circular saw looked easy to make.

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on February 17, 2020 at 1:45am

Thanks Tim, I've been watching all kinds of videos searching for guidance of some sort. I had ideas and the knowledge to make what I'm looking for, but I also know "Somebody may have a better idea then what you have, so at least shut up and listen!"(My step dad). I'm pretty impressed with this design, with the exception of the drillpress may build this and get rid of my tablesaw and router table( small tabletop Craftsman). Those two alone would free up a nice amount of valuable space. Taff suggested to me to use a cart with a dropdown shelf, I think this would fit the bill!

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on February 18, 2020 at 1:12am

check out "wood working for mere mortals"on youtube. steve has made some good workbenches and efficient stuff..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JeBHyRscRQ

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on February 18, 2020 at 1:51am

LOL If I had that kind of space I'd think I died and went to heaven. My work area is the "Great Outdoors" and my storage is a 4'x6' "broom closet" between the parking space and patio in a condo(yea). And this is down sizing from my cubbyhole in a storage shed and working under a tent. But I do watch DIY videos looking for ideas that could be useful. I'm a firm believer in KISS. Thanks for the link I'll check his ideas, like my stepdad said about ideas. Also I don't plan on building everything with Baltic Birch plywood, just the crucial parts like the top and such.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on February 18, 2020 at 12:08pm

What would we do without the internet? so easy to share ideas.

When I first started my workshop I had all the hand tools I could want from my trade but no machines. Here is what I did, but not as clean looking as in the videos you show Hooch, and rarely new materials......

Table saw- was a nine inch Makita power saw bolted up side down into a steel hospital bedside cabinet. Made the fence too. Used that for over ten years.

Jigsaw- was same deal bolted upside down in a box

Planer- I bought the largest electric hand planer possibly 6" blade, I cant remember for sure. It was also mounted upside down with a out feed table added

Belt sander- mounted on its side with a table mounted on the front

Router- was also mounted in a suitable size box, upside down of course.

Disc sander- 10" I made this out of timber and was belt driven by a swamp cooler electric motor using the cooler bearings. Must have used that for over ten years too.

At that time I had bought cheap a 36" bandsaw with 2" wide blades. I had to put a concrete slab outside the shed get a crane to lift it over the house and extend the shed around it.

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on February 20, 2020 at 1:27pm

36" cut with a 2" blade! What did you do start a saw mill?

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on February 20, 2020 at 5:00pm

Hi Hooch, ha ha, it was in the yard of a place I worked at, not being used, big old cast iron type of machine. I had to get it spinning by hand before I switched it on otherwise it would blow fuses. I did get narrower blades for it.

And down the track I converted it to a plunge router. See photo below.

That disc sander [called a belt sander?] posted on here is a bit too small for all that effort, I think. Looks good though. Mine was built the same way, only I had the shaft facing front with a 6" pully on the shaft, I then bolted a 10" wooden disc to the aluminium pully. I also put a shroud around the disc to redirect dust.

Router sitting in new workshop a few years later

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on February 20, 2020 at 5:27pm

What a monster! What does the that weigh 300lbs? I wouldn't have storage or the ability to haul it In and out to use it. Harbor freight has a belt disk sander for $64 that I've been eyeballing, but I'm also weighing options like "do I need it that bad? Would a hand plane do a better job or some other tool? Do I really have space for it?" These are questions I have to answer first. Although I just bought it, with the saw setup in the microbench I'll sell my tablesaw if I can't say yes to all those questions.

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Permalink Reply by Doug Krantz on February 20, 2020 at 11:43am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaojkUzeEJU

Make a Belt sander @Washing machine motor

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on February 20, 2020 at 1:20pm

I started making one of these but ran into a major snag half way into the build. The wife got pissed and made me put the washing machine back together.

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Permalink Reply by Doug Krantz on February 20, 2020 at 1:48pm

could run a pony belt off the washer to power the sander

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on February 20, 2020 at 2:40pm

Lol That means I'd have to drag the washer outside and do a load of laundry while running the sander. I found a motor with a pulley, just can't do anything until after I build a bench.